The information contained in this document is derived from the
Nutrient Management Act, 2002 and O. Reg 267/03 as amended.
Every effort has been made to make it as accurate as possible, but
is not authoritative. Please refer to the e-Laws
website or the official volumes printed by Publications Ontario
for the authoritative text of the act.

Sewage biosolids result from municipal wastewater
treatment

sewage biosolids, which are high-organic solid, semi-solid,
or liquid materials that are retained for further treatment
and processing.

Sewage biosolids are then treated by methods such as digestion
or addition of lime to reduce the pathogen content and odour-producing
potential. Once treated, biosolids can be applied to land in liquid
form, or be dewatered and applied as a solid material following
provincial requirements.

Sewage biosolids contain nutrients

Biosolids contain nutrients and organic matter that are important
to plant growth, such as:

mineral and organic nitrogen, and phosphorus

micronutrients such as zinc, magnesium, and copper.

They may also contain trace amounts of other elements such as
arsenic, lead, and mercury. Concentrations of these elements in
land-applied sewage biosolids are regulated under the Nutrient
Management Act, 2002, (NMA) and the Environmental Protection Act
(EPA).

Crop production can be enhanced by biosolids

When applied according to the General Nutrient Management Regulation,
sewage biosolids will:

Sewage biosolids have been utilized on agricultural land in Canada,
the United States and Europe for more than 30 years. Applying
sewage biosolids to farmland is an important means of recycling
nutrients in the environment. As such, the process offers economic
and environmental advantages to society at large.

On September 18, 2009 the General Nutrient Management Regulation
(O. Reg 267/03), under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002(NMA),
was amended to make changes to the regulatory framework for non-agricultural
source materials (NASM). The purpose of these changes is to remove
duplicate requirements under the NMA and the Environmental
Protection Act (EPA) and to introduce quality-based standards
for the agricultural land application of NASM. These standards
enhance environmental protection by strengthening and clarifying
the rules around the beneficial use of this material.

The requirements will take effect in two stages. Stage
1 changes will take effect immediately upon filing of the regulation
and consists of general requirements that establish the framework.
The general requirements are needed to transition to the
requirements of the new system for managing NASM which take effect at
stage 2 on January 1, 2011. Transition periods are also outlined
within the regulation to assist in moving from the current framework
of approvals to the new requirements.

NASM includes pulp and paper biosolids, other food processing
residuals and sewage biosolids. The change from two regulations
to one regulation will be complete by January 1, 2016 (when no
more Certificates of Approval for land application will exist).
Environmental quality, food safety, and human health issues and
concerns are addressed in both Regulations and supporting land
application publications of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
In addition, each farm site receiving sewage biosolids must have
a NASM plan approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs or a C of A (waste disposal site) under the EPA
prior to January 1, 2016.

Fertilizer equivalent nitrogen is the sum of the inorganic
nitrogen plus 30% of the organic nitrogen applied. It is assumed
that no nitrogen is lost during application.

Phosphate Fertilizer equivalent assumes 40% phosphorus availability
in the year of application.

Suitable crops for biosolids land application

Field corn, hay, haylage, pasture, and commercial sod

These crops are well-suited to using nitrogen supplied by biosolids.
Nutrients such as nitrogen should be applied within crop recommendations.

Cereals

Nitrogen management is critical to avoid over application that
may result in crops falling over before harvest.

Perennial legumes and soybeans

Soybeans and hay crops containing more than one-half legumes do
not require added nitrogen but will use added nitrogen rather than
fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. Biosolids that supply phosphorus
and/or organic matter can be of benefit to these crops. Some materials
may cause management concerns. For example, viable tomato seeds
if present in sewage biosolids can pose a weed problem in a soybean
crop.

Tree Fruits and Grapes

Some biosolids may be applied in late fall. However, as is the
case for other crops, nitrogen management is critical to avoid over
or under application that may cause poor fruit quality, delayed
hardening of trees or vines, or winter injury.

Notes:

The maximum application rate per hectare for sewage biosolids
must not exceed the maximum rate specified in a NASM plan.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
nutrient management computer program, NMAN, can be used for
the determination of suitable application rates.

Metal concentrations in sewage biosolids

Metal

Maximum Concentration
(mg/kg solids)

Typical Concentration
(mg/kg solids)

Arsenic

170

4.3

Cadmium

34

3.4

Cobalt

340

6.5

Chromium

2800

80

Copper

1700

550

Mercury

11

1.4

Molybdenum

94

6.5

Nickel

420

12

Lead

1100

48

Selenium

34

2.7

Zinc

4200

506

Source: 2002 Survey of Municipal Sewage Biosolids Quality (Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry
of the Environment)

Separation Distances

Feature

Distance (m)

Bedrock

0.30 to1.0*

Unsaturated soil depth at the surface

0.30 to 0.90*

Drilled well (> 15m depth)

15

Dug well

90

Residence

25 to 450*

Residential area

50 to 900*

0.30 to 1.0* - separation distance to bedrock varies according
to the type of material (i.e. solid or liquid nutrient) and the
proposed application rate. In general liquid nutrients and high
application rate require greater separation setback to bedrock.
For more specific distance, refer to section 50 of O.Reg. 267/03.

0.30 to 0.90*- the minimum depth of unsaturated soil at the surface
of the application site varies according to the quality of the
material and soil type, which may also affect the maximum application
rate. For more specific distance, refer to section 48 and 49 of
O.Reg. 267/03.

25 to 450* - Setback to dwellings vary according to the odour
classification of the material to be land applied and the method
of application (surface applied, surface applied and incorporated
within 6 or 24 hours, or injected). For more specific information,
refer to section 47 of O.Reg. 267/03.

50 to 900* - Setback to residential areas or commercial, community
or institutional uses vary according to the odour classification
of the material to be land applied and the method of application
(surface applied, surface applied and incorporated within 6 or
24 hours, or injected). For more specific information, refer to
section 47 of O.Reg. 267/03.

As with spreading manure, applying biosolids may produce odours.
And as with manure, odours can be reduced by timely incorporation
into the soil. When planning biosolids application, it is of utmost
importance to follow O.Reg 267/03 and use best management practices,
which help to maximize benefit by conserving nitrogen, while minimizing
odour. The Odour Guide as part of the regulation under the NMA,
establishes which category the biosolids will fall into and then
O. Reg. 267/03 establishes the setbacks that must be followed
for land application of the material. Some discretion is afforded
for the director to assign a different odour category to the material.
The procedures to do this are set out in the Odour Guide.

Watercourses

Regulation 267/03 under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002, requires
a minimum 20m separation distance between the top of the nearest
bank of a surface watercourse and the area of application of municipal
sewage biosolids. Greater separation distances may be required
depending on the soil type, the slope of the land and the application
method used in the area near the watercourse. Separation distances
are determined on a case by case basis as part of the NASM plan.

Municipal wastewater treatment plants receive raw sewage from
residential, industrial, and commercial sources. Bylaws regarding
municipal sewer-use do much to control the quality of the raw
sewage received at sewage treatment plants. However, treated biosolids
may still contain some chemicals that are not beneficial to crops,
but pose minimal risk to the environment when applied to land
in accordance with the Regulation.

The Regulation was developed to ensure that any biosolids being
used are of benefit to crops, and are applied to land so as not
to degrade the natural environment or pose harm to human or animal
health.

The Regulation sets out criteria for:

concentrations of 11 elements of concern

amount, method and timing of application

separation distances from sensitive areas

suitable soil types and topography.

The key to successful sewage biosolids utilization is management,
which is a combination of:

proper application methods

best management practices

nutrient management planning.

Wise management will get the most benefit from the applied biosolids,
while minimizing the risk to the environment and the health of
people and animals.

A farm-specific NASM plan balances crop requirements,
land base, and available nutrients.

Improperly applied, nutrients can be deleterious to soil and
water resources. For example:

excessive nutrient applications can pollute surface and
ground water

nitrate nitrogen is very dynamic, and excessive soil nitrate
at the end of the growing season can leach into ground water,
posing a risk to human and animal health

phosphorus binds to soil, and can move with eroded soil to
rivers and lakes, degrading water quality and harming fish and
wildlife habitat.

Over application of nutrients is also a waste of money.

As nutrient sources, sewage biosolids must only be applied in
accordance with nutrient management planning principles - meaning
that total available nutrients applied must not exceed what the
crop can use.

The three commandments of nutrient management planning:

Know what you have.

Know what you need.

Know how much you are applying.

Other off-farm generated materials may also benefit
crop production or soil quality.

Some industrial processes produce organic and inorganic residuals
that may benefit crop production, such as food processing by-products
and paper mill biosolids.

As with sewage biosolids, application of some of these residuals
to agricultural land is regulated under 267/03; others must be
reviewed by the Director who will establish the parameters for
testing the material and determining land application restrictions.
For more information about unlisted material, or land application
of materials other than sewage biosolids, contact the nearest
office of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment or the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Roles and responsibilities

The success of a biosolids land application program depends on:

communication

management

all parties being aware of their responsibilities.

Municipality (as generator of the biosolids) have requirements
with their C of A:

For more information...

For more information or to obtain a ministry publication
call the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs,
Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-888-466-2372 from
within Ontario.

Site Help

Notices

Accessing this message means you do not have a JavaScript enabled browser. If you
cannot enable JavaScript in your browser and would like to know the last modified
date for this page, please contact the webmaster at -internet.webmaster.omafra@ontario.ca